Hokkaido - Nayoro Piyashiri

Last week we were stuck in an unusual dry spell in Furano (3 days without a refresh). So we looked around for lesser known spots on the map; Nayoro Piyashiri about 2 hours north fit the bill. Cold, empty, and best of all it had some fresh snow in the forecast. Thought we'd share some of those 2 days in Northern Hokkaido.

I personally would be happy if any place not currently mentioned frequently in japan doesnít get mentioned on the Internet. There are plenty of resorts and bc spots that are recommended and which will keep most people happy. If people arenít happy with those they can easily google other resorts and look at google earth. Gaijin are all over the place as it is.

I will agree with this sentiment. After two winters skiing all over Hokkaido, I was keen on writing up a huge guide book, internet report, etc. of all the cool spots to help people have a sick experience. Then I realized it's all pretty much common sense, or at least accessible with guiding companies. Not trying to shit bag on this TR, but Powder Hounds probably turned you on to the existence of Piyashiri.

I will agree with this sentiment. After two winters skiing all over Hokkaido, I was keen on writing up a huge guide book, internet report, etc. of all the cool spots to help people have a sick experience. Then I realized it's all pretty much common sense, or at least accessible with guiding companies. Not trying to shit bag on this TR, but Powder Hounds probably turned you on to the existence of Piyashiri.

Powderhounds was the bible when for our first trip there. I wasn't trying to be a dick, but from what I have heard about Tockachidake lately im pretty bummed, though im also part of the problem.

I will agree with this sentiment. After two winters skiing all over Hokkaido, I was keen on writing up a huge guide book, internet report, etc. of all the cool spots to help people have a sick experience. Then I realized it's all pretty much common sense, or at least accessible with guiding companies. Not trying to shit bag on this TR, but Powder Hounds probably turned you on to the existence of Piyashiri.

I agree with your initial sentiment to share your experience. For me and those I hang with, sliding on mountains is about the stoke created, sharing the memories, and hoping they spark new adventures. The way I see it one can be the "stay off my lawn" dude or the "come on in and stay a while, let me share my brew" person. I've found that the latter people always have more fun. BTW it wasn't Powder Hounds, it was another killer blog named Hokkaido Wilds. Cheers!

Cheers, man. Iíd love to get back to Japan and see whatís happening. Like Mike Pow said, thereís many, many little spots to ski. Gaijins rarely stray from the Niseko area, so this is all just hyperbolic philosophy of internet ethics

The way I see it one can be the "stay off my lawn" dude or the "come on in and stay a while, let me share my brew" person. ]

Hope you donít take this the wrong way, because Iím sure youíre someone I would be stoked to have a beer and share some turns with, but to me internet gloating about less traveled places in Japan (especially titling a thread about a very untraveled, but also very flat, region in Hokkaido). Your post seems more like the guy standing on his lawn announcing to anyone who will listen.

If it comes up in conversation amongst friends or has some significant relevance, sweet thatís awesome and by all means the more people that have good experiences, the better. But to just gloat on the Internet seems weird. I say this because I have made the same mistake and I also feel extremely guilty about how much of Japan I am personally responsible for spoiling. So maybe we, as a community, can move away from the hey random people, look at my adventures in specific area! And be more personal in who we decide to give in depth information to?

Also 3 days of a dry spell is not strange at all in Furano, thatís perfectly normal

Actually now it seems to me that you monetize content? So I guess that really saddens me to see something like this exploited under the guise of your ďwanting to share stoke?Ē

I personally would be happy if any place not currently mentioned frequently in japan doesnít get mentioned on the Internet. There are plenty of resorts and bc spots that are recommended and which will keep most people happy. If people arenít happy with those they can easily google other resorts and look at google earth. Gaijin are all over the place as it is.

Youíre a gaijin? Iím a gaijin. A lot of the Japanese embracing skiing passionately in Hokkaido are originally from Honshu. Which isnít any different than the North America stereotype of a New Yorker that moves to Jackson. When do we get to sit on the throne and point down at others undeserving of their own Japan experience? I get what youíre saying, and agree totally with Internet site blasting, but I really dislike the I was a white person in Japan first, therefore...attitude. Maybe thatís not what you meant, but itís the sentiment of your post. For me, looking back at my first winter in Japan, and how little I knew in comparison to now. I canít help but feel a sense of humility, even for how much time I have spent there, thereís still a lot to learn.

Iím a gaijin, yes, but my point had nothing to do with me feeling entitled to an experience that other gaijin donít deserve. Itís that:

Many of the places that are rad to ski in japan are largely rad because there arenít a ton of people there. If there were - and some would be crowded if they were on the Internet in English - they wouldnít even be worth blowing up in the first place. If people want to find them they will, and thatís great, but itís lame to broadcast places just for the sake of sounding in-the-know.

Secondly, I think if japanese skiers want to blow up their own spots then thatís their right, but itís especially uncool for foreigners to do it. Itís fine for Jackson skiers to get annoyed at New Yorkers, but it would be another thing if an Aussie hypothetically wrote a guide that sent hordes of people to previously un-publicized spots, (not that those even exist in Jackson from what I can tell, but thatís besides the point).

If some Tokyo guy writes a blog blowing up some OG Ainu-Jin stashes then yes, the Ainu-Jin skiers would also have a right to be annoyed, but at least they share the same country. (I would love to learn that there are Ainu skiers who have beef with Honshu carpetbaggers btw).

The Internet kind of ruins everything. Sometimes I think the cagey-ness of Tahoe and eastern Sierra skiers not disclosing locations theyíre skiing is silly, but I live in SF and have no right to broadcast off-the-beaten path tours and no right to expect them to tell me where theyíre skiing if I canít figure it out.

Itís so easy to find anything these days, have a little more fun by keeping some secrets.

I'm glad I read through this thread. I just removed the geotags from all of my Hokkaido skiing pictures I posted on Instagram in January. Happy to share beta in private, or in person, but agree with the sentiments here after seeing how busy central Hokkaido was this January.

Between a rock and a soft place. Aberdare and The Brecon Beacons, Wales

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Or looked at another way...

I skied Kamoidake in Central Hokkaido twice on a recent 10-day roadie around Hokkaido with my better half.

Two great days at a smaller, mellow ski hill with fun terrain and really good snow considering most places were getting skunked at that time.

Since found out that it's closing next season because the town can't keep it going.

This isn't an isolated case.

Loads of great little places have closed on Hokkaido because they're not on the 'Gaijin Radar'.

From day 1 on Hokkaido back in December 2006 I've shared beta, images & video publicly and privately on here and other forums in the hope that anyone traveling to Hokkaido has as great as a time as I've had each and every winter I've been able to visit.

If it means that a few more people visit a particular resort and the powder runs out a little bit sooner so be it.

I, and I'm sure the locals, will take that over the place closing down and killing the community ski culture.

As a one-time visitor I really am not too knowledgeable on the subject, but I would imagine a lot of smaller places (even those with good snowfall) are not on the gaijin radar because they have a closed rope policy, and with the amount of known places with open boundaries at this point it likely seems easier/safer to most to not press their luck.

Between a rock and a soft place. Aberdare and The Brecon Beacons, Wales

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Originally Posted by jtran10

As a one-time visitor I really am not too knowledgeable on the subject, but I would imagine a lot of smaller places (even those with good snowfall) are not on the gaijin radar because they have a closed rope policy, and with the amount of known places with open boundaries at this point it likely seems easier/safer to most to not press their luck.

Plenty of places where you can ski off the marked courses as long as you don't duck a rope.

In my experience that's when the resort gets pissed off.

Piyashiri was roped to within an inch of its life but you could still get access to plenty of terrain.

Conversely, at Katsurazawa Kokusetsu there was very little roping and hardly anyone skiing off the groomed runs.

Most of the smaller ski areas can't compete with the vertical, length of runs & challenge of the more well known places but when there is almost zero competition for snow and fresh turns can be had all day then you have to decide what you're looking for.

I recently bought a flight to Japan for next winter. Some really helpful info here that I'll keep in mind. Hope to be able to pick some of your brains while planning over the next year. Thanks all for sharing!